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Correctional Officer

Wayne Thomas "Cotton" Morgan

Tennessee Department of Correction — Nashville, TN

Felonious Veteran

End of Watch August 9, 2005

Age 57

Tour of Duty 28 yrs

The Vigil Panel 153 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 13

Incident

Officer Wayne Morgan was shot and killed outside of the Roane County Courthouse.

Officer Morgan and his partner were loading prisoners into a transport van after a court appearance, when the wife of one of the inmates drove up and opened fire with a shotgun, striking Officer Morgan in the abdomen. Officer Morgan's partner returned fire as the escaping prisoner climbed inside his wife's vehicle.

The woman and her inmate husband, who had served two years of a 35 year sentence for aggravated robbery and aggravated assault, fled the scene in the vehicle but switched cars a short distance away. The were apprehended the next day in Ohio.

Officer Morgan was flown to the University of Tennessee Medical Center where he succumbed to his wounds.

On September 18, 2007, the woman was convicted of first degree murder and sentenced to life in prison with no possibility of parole. Her husband was convicted of Officer Morgan's murder and received the same sentence March 9, 2009.

Officer Morgan was a U.S. Army veteran of the Vietnam War and had served with the Tennessee Department of Correction for 28 years. He is survived by his wife, son, and daughter.

Survivors

He is survived by his wife, son, and daughter.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-TN-B4ED0787
Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: April 2, 2026
Last updated: July 23, 2026

Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I served 1985 to 1993. You served too, before the badge - different uniform, same idea. You go where you are sent and you do not get to pick the call.
Correctional Officer Morgan gave the Tennessee Department of Correction 28 years.
Thank you for your service to the Nashville community, and for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Department Tennessee Department of Correction

Location Nashville, TN

Platform Identity tdc.davidson.tn.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch August 9, 2005

Tour of Duty 28 yrs

Age 57

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Cause Detail Gunfire

Weapon Shotgun

Offender Sentenced to life

Military Service

Wayne Thomas "Cotton" Morgan served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.

Correctional Officer Wayne Thomas "Cotton" Morgan is one of 17,623 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 54.2% of all 32,508 officers honored here.

In TN, 498 of 769 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 64.8% of this state's fallen. That is 10.6 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.

At Tennessee Department of Correction, 11 of 14 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 78.6% of this agency's fallen.

Tennessee Department of Correction

of 14 officers

78.6% Felonious

TN — Statewide

498

of 769 officers

64.8% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious